Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Shaky cam movie thread

Community
Search
Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

Shaky cam movie thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 08-10-08 | 09:08 PM
  #26  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,989
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
From: Michigan
Didn't that foot chase in Casino Royale use some?
Old 08-11-08 | 08:48 AM
  #27  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sometimes the Shaky Cam is appropriate while other times, it destroys the enjoyment of the film:

The Blair Witch Project - good for this type of film
The Bourne Supremecy - absolutely ruined the film and totally headache-inducing
The Bourne Ultimatum - absolutely ruined the film and totally headache-inducing
Children of Men - good for this type of film
Cloverfield - good for this type of film
The Counterfeiters - I watched this yesterday and I didn't notice any shaky cam.
Deja Vu - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
Domino - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
The Kingdom - good for this type of film
Man on Fire - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
United 93 - good for this type of film.

I would also like to add that choppy slo-motion is right up there with Shaky Cam as being another form of annoying, headache-inducing filming. (smooth slo-mo is awesome, but choppy slo-mo is so amateurish and bad):
I know that Wong Kar Wai films use the choppy slo-mo a lot.
Old 08-11-08 | 01:07 PM
  #28  
Overpar's Avatar
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,351
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
From: Alexandria, VA
Originally Posted by toddly6666
The Counterfeiters - I watched this yesterday and I didn't notice any shaky cam.
You're kidding, right? The whole film was shot handheld. It wasn't Bourne Ultimatum, but it was shaky, handheld.
Old 08-11-08 | 01:20 PM
  #29  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Overpar, well I guess it was done in an artistic way, instead of an annoying way, cuz I didn't notice it...
Old 08-11-08 | 04:46 PM
  #30  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,535
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
From: Minnesota
The last 15 minutes of GI Jane....the beach scenes. Although that was more of a quick zoom in and zoom out....it appeared very shaky...and annoying.
Old 08-18-08 | 02:23 PM
  #31  
Overpar's Avatar
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,351
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
From: Alexandria, VA
Added The Signal.
Old 08-18-08 | 02:54 PM
  #32  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 47,910
Received 2,320 Likes on 1,442 Posts
From: Rosemount, MN
God, you are missing out on some outstanding movies.

In The Bourne Ultimatum, a stuntman actually jumped with a camera following another stuntman...one of the coolest shots I've ever seen, and I'm a former photojournalist/videographer who never goes anywhere without my tripod.

I think this stuff works fine in a lot of movies.

Last edited by Draven; 08-18-08 at 02:56 PM.
Old 08-18-08 | 04:44 PM
  #33  
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As I recall, NYPD Blue was a shaky cam pioneer on television. I remember it being specifically mentioned on shows like Entertainment Tonight. The shake seemed incredibly distracting to me when I first saw it. It felt strange to have the camera jerking around during, say, a calm discussion around a desk. It was supposed to generate tension but it looked more like something terrible was happening to the camera man.

Now I'm conditioned to only notice extreme shake. I agree that it can get unpleasant, however I think it can be a good thing when used properly.
Old 08-18-08 | 07:37 PM
  #34  
Overpar's Avatar
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,351
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
From: Alexandria, VA
Originally Posted by Draven
God, you are missing out on some outstanding movies.

In The Bourne Ultimatum, a stuntman actually jumped with a camera following another stuntman...one of the coolest shots I've ever seen, and I'm a former photojournalist/videographer who never goes anywhere without my tripod.

I think this stuff works fine in a lot of movies.
I saw the Bourne Ultimatum and it was great except for the shaky cam. I'm sure I'm missing out on some great stories, but not great movies. We each have our own opinions and perceptions. Thanks for the contribution.
Old 08-18-08 | 09:34 PM
  #35  
Troy Stiffler's Avatar
DVD Talk Hero
 
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 27,634
Received 619 Likes on 439 Posts
From: Under an I-10 Overpass
Originally Posted by Tarantino
The only movie that I've seen where the camera work actually bothers me is Domino. Horrible, horrible camera work in that movie.

= J
My friend described it best when he called Man on Fire something like "cinematic crack". I've never smoked cracked. But I bet it's something like Domino's camerawork.

The thing with Domino and Man on Fire... In the end, I think they both worked.
Old 08-19-08 | 01:27 PM
  #36  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 918
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Any film Paul Greengrass directs.
Old 08-19-08 | 05:13 PM
  #37  
Banned
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm sure once 2010 comes that shaky cam and that tint,green,teal cinematography will be gone from movies.
Old 08-20-08 | 01:54 PM
  #38  
Overpar's Avatar
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,351
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
From: Alexandria, VA
Originally Posted by wm lopez
I'm sure once 2010 comes that shaky cam and that tint,green,teal cinematography will be gone from movies.
I hope so!

Added -

The Line (2007)
Poor Boy's Game
Old 08-21-08 | 02:25 AM
  #39  
Banned
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by hugo1000faces
As I recall, NYPD Blue was a shaky cam pioneer on television. I remember it being specifically mentioned on shows like Entertainment Tonight. The shake seemed incredibly distracting to me when I first saw it. It felt strange to have the camera jerking around during, say, a calm discussion around a desk. It was supposed to generate tension but it looked more like something terrible was happening to the camera man.

Now I'm conditioned to only notice extreme shake. I agree that it can get unpleasant, however I think it can be a good thing when used properly.
After 2010 NYPD BLUE will be dated just like MIAMI VICE is with it's style.
Old 08-21-08 | 04:28 PM
  #40  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 644
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: Hot Springs, AR
I usually don't mind the shaky cam or notice it for that matter.

But the one movie where it really bothered me was "Ocean's Twelve".

It was almost like Soderbergh was using it just because. It didn't add to the movie at all.

One of the few times I noticed it and was like, "Dude, what are you doing?"
Old 10-25-08 | 08:26 AM
  #41  
Overpar's Avatar
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,351
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
From: Alexandria, VA
Added Felon.
Old 11-16-08 | 05:51 PM
  #42  
Overpar's Avatar
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,351
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
From: Alexandria, VA
Added Bloodrayne 2.
Old 11-16-08 | 05:59 PM
  #43  
Dr Mabuse's Avatar
DVD Talk Legend
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 18,946
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
From: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge...
Originally Posted by troystiffler
My friend described it best when he called Man on Fire something like "cinematic crack". I've never smoked cracked. But I bet it's something like Domino's camerawork.

The thing with Domino and Man on Fire... In the end, I think they both worked.
They both work very well.

Fantastic film making both of them.

Tony Scott, in each of those cases, was moving films forward in a meaningful way, not just change for the sake of change as can happen in artistic/creative enterprises.

Most people resist new things. It's always been that way.
Old 11-16-08 | 06:20 PM
  #44  
Brack's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 10,011
Received 63 Likes on 40 Posts
From: near Cincinnati
QoS is more of a quick-cut movie than a shaky cam movie, but maybe I'm so used to it now that I've become desensitized. Lucky me.
Old 11-16-08 | 07:40 PM
  #45  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ocean's Twelve
Old 12-05-08 | 03:34 PM
  #46  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
I know there are a lot fake trailers on youtube. Does anyone know of any fake trailers that spoof the shaky cam style?
Old 12-28-08 | 09:50 PM
  #47  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
An example of this done right, is The Mist. I barely even noticed, a lot of the movie is handheld. It's done in a way, where the camera man doesn't seem drunk.
Old 12-29-08 | 12:57 AM
  #48  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 42,224
Received 1,469 Likes on 1,144 Posts
Though neither bothered me one bit (in fact I feel it adds to the experience in these two particular cases) the series Firefly and the motion picture followup Serenity both employ plenty of shaky cam.
Old 12-29-08 | 01:17 AM
  #49  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 46,689
Received 1,391 Likes on 1,093 Posts
Slumdog Millionaire has a mix of shakey cam and Tony Scott-style visual editing (which is not something I usually associate with Danny Boyle).
Old 08-22-09 | 10:00 AM
  #50  
DJLinus's Avatar
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 8,996
Received 44 Likes on 39 Posts
From: Richmond, VA
Re: Shaky cam movie thread

Add District 9 to the list. Before I saw it, I read reviews and blurbs saying it was shot "documentary style" which is usually code for "epileptic cameraman off of his meds" and I was expecting the worst. But it turns out that the film actually uses a documentary conceit and, IMO, the camera was excessively shaky in only a handful of scenes.


Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.